Morsi: 'National unity the only way out of difficult times'

The new Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi has called for national unity in the country stating that it "is the only way out of these difficult times."

Egyptians gathering at Tahir Square

Maggie Osama

In recent reports from The Australian and Egypt Independent the new Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi in his first television speech to the nation as president has promised to be a leader of all Egyptians, from Muslims to Christians, children to the elderly and those who work in private and public sectors.

He took time to acknowledge the sacrifices made by the 900 Egyptian 'martyrs' that were killed during the revolution that saw the capitulation of Hosni Mubarak. He added that "the revolution continues, until all its demands are met."

The presidential election in Egypt has deeply divided the country. Many Egyptians saw Morsi's opponent -- Ahmed Shafiq a former Prime Minister in the Mubarak regime -- as little more than a relic from that era who doesn't represent the kind of change they want after 29 years of the Mubarak dictatorship. They also see him as a stooge of the military establishment which has seized legislative power for itself.

A lot of those who voted for Shafiq on the other hand did so out of fear of the Muslim Brotherhood, who they fear will impose religious law on Egyptian society and turn the country into some kind of Islamic state.